Anyone Can Make a Positive Impact on Community
Every community organization depends on the time and talents of volunteers to be successful. Fortunately, in Marshfield there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. No matter a person’s skills or passion, joining a Board of Directors is a great option for anyone seeking to make a positive impact on the world around them.
Nathan Heeg is no stranger to volunteering. A father of five and business owner (as a Thrivent Financial Advisor), Heeg is living proof that it’s possible to volunteer and serve the community despite having a busy schedule.
As a Board Member for The Hannah Center and volunteer with groups such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as well as having served as Board President for the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, as a coach for school sports, and a volunteer in various church ministries, Heeg enjoys giving back to the community and encourages everyone to consider doing the same by prioritizing their schedules to incorporate volunteering.
“Volunteering can make a big impact on your community,” he said. “I know that The Hannah Center makes a tremendous impact and our Board guides an organization that does amazing things for women and kids.”
He adds that though volunteer organizations understand the life happens sometimes, it’s important to treat volunteer work and Board service as a commitment.
“Having a servant mentality, that’s what you have to get to. Catch the vision of why you are serving,” he said. “Get on Boards where you can enjoy the experience, where it can be a fun thing that you can look forward to rather than something you dread on your calendar.”
Dianne Schalow, Board Secretary for Marshfield Area Pet Shelter, said it can be challenging to find people committed to helping on a regular basis, but
“I would encourage people to get involved on the MAPS board because there is always something that they can help with,” said Schalow. “Volunteering in general can be really rewarding. We see sick animals get well and it warms our hearts because we work as a team to give our animals the best and most personal care they can have.”
“There are so many Boards that you can get on. You can serve on a board anytime. Every group has a cause that gets somebody,” added Heeg. “A lot of time Board Members are looking for the expertise you already have. Something that you can contribute that you don’t have to learn. They want who you are.”
Al Nystrom, who serves as Co-Chair of the Rotary Winter Wonderland Steering Committee, agrees that commitment and passion are two important qualities in a volunteer.
“We are a very ‘hands on’ Board. All of our leaders commit a significant amount of personal time to the project,” he said. “When we launched the project twelve years ago, we canvassed both Rotary Clubs and found a core group of enthusiastic leaders, many of whom are still running the project today.”
Nystrom said the group has struggled to find the next group of leaders that have the same passion for the work the current group does.
“We know there are talented people out there who love the project, but finding them and engaging them has been a challenge,” he said, adding that volunteering is crucial to the success of any community organization.
“A seat on a Board or committee provides an avenue to you to make a project or organization stronger. By bringing your unique set of talents and relationships to a cause, you can help shape the project, create new ideas, and ultimately make it more sustainable,” he said. “Even great projects such as Rotary Winter Wonderland will ultimately fold unless new individuals step in to guide the project. We have a very urgent need to develop future project leaders if we want to keep this project alive for future generations.”
If we are missing a Board of Directors, please contact us!
Central Chamber Chorale, Inc.
Number of members: Seven members at present but could be more. Music Director attends meetings as a non-voting member and we have one member emeritus who cold not longer attend meetings.
Length of term: three years.
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): Usually around five meetings around August, October, December, February, and April. A lot of extra time and communication by email for programs, publicity and concerts.
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: Ann Stevning-Roe, President here or at 715-897-6723.
Brief summary of goals/organization: The Board is responsible for administration and fundraising to support the mission of Central Chamber Chorale Inc…keeping the joy of choral music alive.Central Chamber Chorale presents major choral literature, sacred and secular, accompanied and unaccompanied, from all musical periods for Central Wisconsin audiences. The group celebrates its 47th year with the 2017-18 season. Two concert series are performed annually—fall and spring. Regular concert sites are Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids with a third outreach concert alternating between Medford and Abbotsford. Membership is by audition.
Central Wisconsin Literacy Council
Number of members: Currently, we have 9 Board members. We can have up to 15.
Length of term: 3 year terms, 2 term limit.
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): At present, the Board meets quarterly for one hour.
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: Contact Executive Director.
Brief summary of goals/organization: The CWLC is an organization which promotes and teaches adult literacy in reading, math, media, life skills, etc.
Chestnut Center for the Arts Board of Directors
Number of Members: 12 Board Members and we welcome any number of community members who would like to be on our committees
Term: Each term is for 3 years and you can also re-up for a 2nd 3 year term after your first is completed
Time Commitment: The main board meeting is for 90 minutes on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 8am. Any committee meetings would be in addition to this, but they usually only meet one extra time every month or two depending on the committee.
Contact: This position can change from year to year, so the best is to contact the office by e-mail or 715-389-8999 and we can pass the information on to the person in charge of nominations.
Summary of Organization/Goals: We are a nonprofit community venue for the visual and performing arts, educational classes, workshops and special events. Our goal is to offer a broad scope of programming and opportunities to enjoy or participate in the arts that appeal to all age demographics and families.
Hannah Center Board of Directors
Number of members: The Hannah Center Board of Directors may have up to 16 members.
Term/ Time Commitment: The term for BOD members is 3 years. After that, a member may be voted to stay on the BOD year to year. Our Board meets the 1st Wednesday of each month. At times, more commitment may be necessary (ex: major fundraisers).
Contact: If interested in learning more about our BOD or joining, please contact Tricia Fancher – Program Coordinator at 715.387.6300 she will put you in touch with the BOD President.
Mission: The Hannah Center’s mission is to assist women in life crisis through compassion and guidance in a nurturing environment. We are committed to Preserving LIFE, Promoting CHANGE, and Providing a HOME.
Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Inc.
Number of members: up to 16
Length of term: A member may serve up to 3- 3year terms
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): 8- one hour board meetings per year and up to 4 1 hour committee meetings. Members must read materials before meetings.
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: Amber Kiggens-Leifheit
Brief summary of goals/organization:
Since 1993, area residents have been turning to the Marshfield Area Community Foundation to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible. We are a public charity serving thousands of people who share a common concern—improving the quality of life in Marshfield and surrounding communities. Please see the About Us page for more information.
Marshfield Area Pet Shelter
Number of members: currently 7 members, 2 open positions (9 total)
Length of term: 2 yrs
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): Meetings are the third Tuesday of every month. Estimated time commitment is a minimum of 4 hrs/month. We are a working and governing board. We are not in a position to hire professional staff to help us with areas such as fundraising, finances, grant writing, legal council, or public relations. We are seeking individuals who can assist us with the afore mentioned skill sets, are invested in our mission, committed to our financial stability and dedicated to strengthening our organization through volunteering their time and expertise.
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: Lynn Deuser, 608.469.9185
Brief summary of goals/organization: The primary objective of MAPS is to operate a lifesaving animal shelter to aid in the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned, stray and surrendered pets and find suitable new homes for animals without owners. Our goal is to reunite pets with their owners, assist people who find stray animals and help pet owners locate lost pets. It’s all about helping our community, both animals and people.
Marshfield Area United Way Board of Directors
Number of members: 18
Length of term: 3 years and can re-commit to an additional 3 years for a total of 6 years
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): Board meets once a month and all board members also serve on at least one committee which has varying time commitments
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: United Way typically has interested individuals serve on committees first, and utilizes the committees as nominees for Board membership. Those interested can contact Paula Jero, Executive Director
Brief summary of goals/organization: The Marshfield Area United Way evaluates, coordinates and supports programs that provide services that efficiently address our community’s most pressing issues.
Main Street Marshfield, Inc.
Number of members : 11
Length of Terms : 2 years
Time commitment : meetings first Wednesday of each month
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering : Main Street Marshfield office
Brief summary of goals: Help make downtown a better place to shop, visit, etc
Marshfield Convention & Visitors Bureau
Number of members: 6
Length of term: 3 year terms
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): 1.5 hour meeting once a month
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: Matt McLean
Brief summary of goals/organization:
Mission Statement – “To attract visitors to Marshfield through marketing, development of attractions and events to create economic impact.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Marshfield Board of Directors
Number of members: 11
Length of term: 3 years
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): Full board meets every other month, Exec Board meets opposite months
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: Iilee Pederson, Executive Director
Brief summary of goals/organization: RMHC of Marshfield keeps families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need. For more information, visit rmhc-marshfield.org.
Soup or Socks Board of Directors
Number of members: 16, Board is comprised of supporting churches, local organizations and interested community members.
Length of Term/ Time Commitment: We do not have term limits on the board members. We do ask that executive committee members make a 2 or 3 year commitment.
Our board meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 4:30 pm. We meet 9 months out of the year. We do not meet in June, July or December unless there is an emergency we need to handle. We make every effort to keep meetings to 1 hour. Attendance at all meetings is strongly encouraged. We also require that each board member serve on a committee of their choice and participate in the food drives in the spring. Participation can be either themselves working on it or recruiting volunteers. The committee time requirements vary by the committee. Empty Bowls is the one that meets all year round to plan and execute the event in March.
Contact Information: Contact can be made through e-mail, Facebook, or telephone 715-387-1796. If someone knows a board member, they can also initiate contact that way.
Mission/Overview: Soup or Socks will be celebrating 25 years of service to the community in 2017. We continue to be a volunteer driven organization. Our goals are to help those in need in Marshfield and the surrounding area with food and clothing. Providing those needs at no charge. Soup or Socks recently took over all registration and screening process tasks from North Central Community Action Program. We are in the process of making changes associated with that process. We are setting new goals that we feel will be in the best interest of those we serve.
Shirley’s House of Hope Board of Directors
Number of Members: 5-10
Length of Term: 2 consecutive 3 year terms
Time Commitment: Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of the month and we meet 8 times per year.
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining the Board: Julie Cravillion, Executive Director, 715-305-9782,
Brief summary of goals/organization: We are a non-profit, Christian domestic violence shelter serving women and their children in the Marshfield area. Generous donors and volunteers provide the finances and other resources to meet the needs of our clients.
Our goal is to end domestic violence in the lives of women and children at Shirley’s House of Hope through emergency and program shelter. Our mission is to rebuild, renew and restore lives of women and children hurting from domestic violence. We have been providing shelter services since 2010. We’ve served over 350 women and children and provided over 2400 nights of shelter each year. We are looking for volunteers to serve on the SHOH Board and to staff the shelter.
University Foundation: UW-Marshfield/Wood County
Number of members: minimum of 7
Length of term: 3 years; can serve two consecutive terms
Time commitment (When are/frequency of meetings): Four times per year; February, May, August & November; special meetings as needed
Whom to contact if interested in volunteering/joining Board: current president, Donna Rozar or executive director, Roxie Wetterau at 715-384-1703
Brief summary of goals/organization:
Mission Statement:
The mission of The University Foundation is to support the UW-Marshfield/ Wood County campus. The Foundation will raise, manage, and distribute funds to provide resources for students, faculty, and campus initiatives resulting in a campus that is diverse, accessible, and vibrant, enhancing the intellectual and cultural environment of our community.
Foundation Goals:
1. Raise, manage and distribute funds for students, faculty and staff through campus programs and activities (i.e.: scholarships, technology, professional development, the arts, and emerging campus needs);
2. Develop a campus climate that is diverse, accessible and vibrant; and
3. Enhance the intellectual and cultural environment.
